Second-order nonlinearity and optical image storage in phenyl-silica hybrid films doped with azo-dye chromophore using optical poling technique

4-[N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)]amino-4'-nitro-azobenzene (DR1)-doped phenyl group substituted silica films were prepared by a sol-gel method. The films were optically poled by the coherent superposition of 1064 and 532 nm beams from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. To discuss the effects of the modifier group, interaction between DR1 molecules and the matrix was investigated. The delocalization of pi electrons occurred between DR1 molecules and the phenyl-silica hybrid matrix, and that consequently the polarized DR1 molecules could be stabilized. By use of the optimized optical poling technique, optical storage was successfully demonstrated for a phenyl-silica hybrid film doped with DR1. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.